Air cooled fuel cell module

• US 6,939,636 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Emergent Power Inc. (Plug Power Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Relion Incorporated (Plug Power Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkerson, Shalena V., Fuglevand, William A., Wright, Matthew M., Bayyuk, Shibli Hanna I., Lloyd, Greg A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crepeau, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US10/425,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20040214057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 429/26, 429/30, 429/34, 429/39, 429/40, 429/44, 429/32, 429/38
• US Class Current: 429/439
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0232 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0245 in the form of layered or coated products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0247 characterised by the form characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0254 corrugated or undulated
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0267 having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04014 Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04067 Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04291 Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems H01M8/04119 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/241 with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2418 Grouping by arranging unit cells in a plane H01M8/2425, H01M8/244 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An air cooled fuel cell module is described and which includes an ion exchange membrane having opposite anode and cathode sides; an electrode borne by each of the anode and cathode sides; and a cathode heat sink positioned in heat removing relation relative to the cathode side of the ion exchange membrane, and which, in one form of the invention, can simultaneously act as a current collector.

Claims

1. An air cooled fuel cell module comprising:

an ion exchange membrane having opposite anode and cathode sides;

an electrode borne by each of the anode and cathode sides;

a current collector disposed in ohmic electrical contact with each of the anode and cathode sides, and wherein the cathode current collector is fabricated from an air-permeable metal foam having an open-celled microstructure, and which further acts as a heat sink to remove a portion of the heat energy generated by the fuel cell module during operation;

an anode heat sink which is fabricated from an air-permeable metal foam, and which is disposed in heat removing relation relative to the anode side of the ion exchange membrane; and

an air flow supplied to the fuel cell module, and which includes a first component which passes, at least in part, through the air-permeable metal foam current collector disposed in ohmic electrical contact with the cathode side of the ion exchange membrane, and a second component which passes, at least in part, over the anode heat sink, and wherein the first and second components, in combination, dissipate a preponderance of the heat energy generated during operation of the fuel cell.

2. An ion exchange membrane fuel cell, comprising:

multiple modules each enclosing a membrane electrode diffusion assembly having an anode, and a cathode side, and wherein each module produces heat energy during operation; and

an anode heat sink fabricated, at least in part, from an air-permeable metal foam, and which is positioned in heat removing relation relative to the anode side of the ion exchange membrane, and wherein each module has a bifurcated air flow which regulates the operational temperature of each module by removing the heat energy from the module, and wherein the bifurcated air flow passes, at least in part, over the anode heat sink.